The 25th Annual Sea to Sea Expedition Race
Florida Sea to Sea Celebrates 25 years of racing in 2024
Press Release / 28.11.2023
The 2024 Sea to Sea Expedition Race in St. Augustine, Florida on Feb 22-25, 2024 is set to break all US attendance records with over 100 Teams and 40 Solo racers. This is the event's 25th Anniversary and for the first time is taking teams on a Northern route across the state of Florida with over 340 miles (545K) of trekking, mountain biking, and paddling.
History of the event
Started in 1999 with only 6 teams of good friends wanting to see if they could race across Florida after watching Eco-Challenge in 1998. Jim Molaschi designed a course that was 100% "word of mouth" to enter the event. There were no checkpoints and teams just crossed the state-visiting transition areas where their crew was waiting. There was no way to get into the race without knowing someone that has done the race before and recommended you to join.
Checkpoints were introduced in 2002 with only 6 total that marked unique spots in Florida and even had a ropes course in an abandoned limestone quarry. After 2005, the allure of adventure racing in Florida started to decline due to Eco-Challenge going off the air, and now other adventure racing events were happening around the US. The event changed hands several times and the dates were always in the spring or summer, which made the event hard to grow with more teams.
In 2010 Pangea Adventure Racing took over the event and added more checkpoints, pre-plotted maps, and removed the need for support crews for the first time. This started a new trend in adventure racing, where teams were required to do less work during the race, which still stands true today.
Warrior Adventure Racing (ARGEORGIA) took over the event in 2018 and took the "less work" concept even further by providing a solo racer option, lodging, canoes, paddle gear, bins for each racer, transportation for gear, tracking services, and hot meals during the event.
With 22 teams in 2019 to now over 100 teams in 2024 the Sea to Sea Expedition Race is set to break its own record for the largest expedition race in North America. Part of its increase in attendance is the fact that Warrior moved the event to February when most North American expedition races are during the late Spring and Summer months. The mild temperatures in Florida during this time of year are perfect for a long race.
The 2024 event: Starting on the West Coast panhandle area, taking teams into areas never used in any other Sea to Sea. Course designer Erik Wise has created a northern route that will give teams a new look at Florida with rolling hills, caves, fast-flowing rivers, huge oak forests, old and new mountain bike trails, the famous Florida Trail, and some of Florida's best wildlife management areas. Finishing in the beautiful historic St. Augustine which is the "oldest" city in America.
"Our staff and volunteers that work the Sea to Sea are always helping the teams have the best race ever and that is the key to its success," said Jeff Leininger (Race Director)
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